Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-03-05

had each declined, and when he thought
Of asking one OF his friends at the hotel
he had CHANGED to hear Miss Blacks re-
mark to Mrs. Mason.
Rhodora meant, now that she knew |
him, to be rigid in her manner. She
wished to be severe and punish him II she
could. AT present he had taken her I'M
awares, and she allowed him TO accom-
pany her, but they did not take the walk
along the locks that she had intended; he
led her TO the shade Of the woods, and
they came back laden with MOSES and
wild flowers. People are apt to drop
drawing room conventionalities in the
freedom Of open air intercourse, and be-
fore they returned the lieutenant had told
her that his aversion to Detroit girls was
an altogether sympathetic affair, caused
by his particular friend having been
Tilted by one Of these fair girls, and he
had then ana there declared he knew
them to be heartless. He admitted that
it was an unpardonably hasty and posi-
bly, unjust conclusion. He told her when
he had first seen her on the steamer deck
with her opera glass up, and she explained
that being nearsighted and not wearing
glasses she always carried an opera glass
when travelling. "If you had noticed"
she said, "you would have seen my glasses
were turned wrong side to that time.
wanted the Sault to look as small and far
away o possible, and then she explained
why she did not wish to visit the Sault
this year.
He regretted her disappointment, but
could not say he was sorry the regiment
changed places.
When the dinner hour came Rhodora
insisted upon her mother proceeding inn
mediately to the table. 1t was ridicu-
lousy unromantic, but after this the lieu
tenant and Rhodora were always on time
to their meals.
Several weeks had passed when one
bright afternoon Miss Black received q
bunch of passionate purple rhodoras, and
in their midst there lay this little note;
"Alohal
"Will you wear these for my sakcp /
found them in the woods. Perhaps you
know this little poem, - and below he had
written these few lines from Emerson's
"Rhodora"
Rhodora! IL the sages ask thee why
This charm is wasted on the earth and sky
Tell them, dear, that if eyes were made for see
ing,
Then beauty is its own excuse for being.
Why thou vert there rival of the rosel
never thought to ask. never knew;
But, In my simple ignorance, suppose
The self same power that brought me there
brought you.
He had UNDERSIGNED two words-me and
you She reread the lines, and then,
strange woman, she passionatGly kissed
the flowers but tore the note into little
shreds and threw it away.
AT the dinner table that night she wore
bunch of purple rhodoras in her white
gown, but Lieut.. Halstead could not get
glimpse of those wonderful gray eyes,
the eyes that lightened, that smiled, that
grew sad, that were unfathomable, til 1t
tonight were continually yelled by tic
dark curling lashes.
1t was unusually warm in Detroit this
summer, and Mr.. Black was anxious to
speedily arrange his business affairs that
he might join his wife and daughter soon
after their arrival at the Sault, but it was
quite nine weeks before he was able to dc
so.
They came down to the boat to meet
} him, and he was mystified by the anxious
manner Of the one and the serious air Of
the other
The morning after Mr.. Blacks arrival
; Lieut.. Halstead might be seen impatient
ly pacing to and fro in the coy room thai
served as the Black sitting room. Tn,
door was gently opened and Miss Rhodort
came in fresh and smiling, her eye.
twinkling with suppressed laughter.
cat lastp' exclaimed the lieutenant
his face radiant, as he held out both hands
to meet her.
Miss Rhodora Black was one Of the pref
test brides Detroit ever saw She wore
soft tulle gown and carried a bunch O
purple rhodoras. George Truman Ker
cheval in Chicago Times.